


slow it down

by Jya, ShatteredEpiphany



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Injury, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Oikawa Angst Fest 2k17, Oikawa Tooru's Knee Injury, RP based, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 12:37:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11290875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jya/pseuds/Jya, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatteredEpiphany/pseuds/ShatteredEpiphany
Summary: Oh I want you now, so please don't let me downOh just shut your mouth, and know that you are everything to meCan we just let go of what we can't controlAnd if the world should spin too fastI'll slow it down for you~Goo Goo Dolls





	slow it down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yourfaveisbi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yourfaveisbi/gifts).



> Well this happened again. Our angsty role plays have produced another fic! Honestly I think this one may be more fluff than angst? You be the judge. 
> 
> This fic comes at a special time, as we finally decided it was time to meet in person, and we've been holed up in the middle of nowhere writing for almost two weeks now. Well, writing and eating and drinking. You know how it is. 
> 
> Shout out to Yourfaveisbi for her amazing comment on our last colab. She inspired us to get another one of these posted <3

"Oikawa, did you use my shampoo again? I swear, what’s the point of all your ‘beauty products’ if you just end up taking mine?" Iwaizumi shouts through the open bathroom door to the living room.

"Iwa-chan, don't get so upset! Mine are expensive so I don’t like to use them when I have practice again in 8 hours. It seems like a waste!" Oikawa replies, his tone much more subdued because he’s lying down on the couch.

Iwaizumi frowns at the response, dragging a hand through his wet hair as he exits the bathroom. He can’t even bring himself to keep up the banter, which had been bordering on him actually getting angry.

It feels like even small things are getting to him lately.

He wonders why he minds. In fact, not too long ago he had found himself thinking how much he enjoys that Oikawa smells like him. It was like a reminder that he belonged to him, especially since so many people seemed to be after his boyfriend.

He drags himself over to his study table and cracks open the materials he's supposed to revise for his upcoming exam.

Oikawa watches from his position on the couch, waiting for Iwaizumi to shoot back, but the other simply sighs and heads for his desk, which is covered in stacks of medical text books and print outs.

It’s relatively normal for Iwaizumi to give Oikawa grief over small things like this, but he’s usually joking, and it’s just his way of showing his affection. As far as Oikawa knows, his boyfriend has no sentimental attachment to his shampoo, and Oikawa has been using it for months without complaint. It makes him wonder if he did something else to upset Iwaizumi.

"Iwa-chan? What’s wrong?" He asks sincerely, dragging himself up off the couch despite his protesting legs. He silently ponders how annoying it is that he could work himself to near exhaustion, and it isn’t until after he sits still for five minutes that his legs begin to really ache.

Iwaizumi rubs his eyes and mentally chastises himself for worrying his boyfriend. The other already has too much on his plate to be thinking of him too. But his mouth doesn’t seem to be in sync with his thoughts.

"It's nothing. I need to focus." He snaps back and immediately regrets it. He knows he's being unfair, but he really can't help it at the moment. Everything is too much.

"I'm sorry," Oikawa replies instinctively, the harsh tone making him recoil. He almost wants to reply with something equally insensitive, but he can’t make himself. He can see the stress lines on Iwaizumi’s forehead, and he knows he needs to let it go. "Did you eat? I was going to make some curry." He offers instead, hoping food will distract the other.

No reply.

The residue of the words still linger, hurting more than it should, but maybe its just because he’s so exhausted today. _Brush it off_ , he tells himself. He heads for the kitchen without waiting for a response, feeling like he needs a moment to gather himself.

Oikawa’s words register only when he turns to leave.

"Ugh, no, Oikawa you don't have to be sorry." Iwaizumi calls after him looking up from his notes in time to catch a flash of his pained expression.

_Fuck no. I fucked up, again_. It’s been happening more and more often. Iwaizumi remains seated though, his body too heavy with guilt and long sleepless nights, making him feel like he’s glued to the chair and can’t move. But he knows he needs to apologize.

_What's wrong with you? He's not going to put up with this for long, and then_... He stops himself before his thoughts continue along the darker tangent. Even if Oikawa was usually the insecure one, lately Iwaizumi has started to feel more and more of it on his end.

"Its fine, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says from the doorway, forcing a bit of optimism into his words. He’s not sure it’s believable, but Iwaizumi appears to be in a dark place, and the last thing he wants to do is push him farther in.

Oikawa hates when Iwaizumi becomes like this, but even more, it scares him. He’s stressed and so he retreats into his own darkness and overthinking that you wouldn’t expect from somebody like him. If he would just talk, Oikawa knows he could help him. Not that he can really blame him though; he knows it would be hypocritical of him to say anything.

"I'm going to take a shower and then make dinner.” Oikawa decides on the spot. They both need a moment. Maybe Iwaizumi will feel better if he’s given some time to simmer down. He makes a mental note to use his own shampoo.

Iwaizumi forces himself up when he hears the bathroom door close. Even though the only thing he wants right now is to lay his head on the desk and sleep, he takes his notes to the kitchen and starts on dinner himself. He hopes that will be enough of an apology. His attention slips between the long diagrams he's memorizing and food he's making.

"Oww, fuck." He curses, when the knife slips and he accidentally cuts himself while trying to cut up a clove of garlic. Just one more thing on top of everything else. He sucks on the finger, sulking to himself. There's not much blood coming from the wound, but it stings.

"Iwa-chan, what’s going on? I told you I would be making dinner, didn’t I?” Oikawa asks, emerging from the bathroom not too much later, wearing his most worn out sweat pants and a tank top, hair flattened and dripping from the very tips. His glasses are foggy from the steam, and it’s almost like a reminder of how weird it still feels to be allowing anyone to see him like this, even if it’s just Iwaizumi.

His boyfriend is hunched over the kitchen counter, examining his hands.

"Oh, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says coming closer, realizing that the other is nursing a cut. He reaches for a paper towel and wraps it around his boyfriend’s right index finger. "How are you going to study if you damage those? Go sit down. Let me finish cooking," Oikawa insists immediately.

Iwaizumi shrugs and falls back into one of the kitchen chairs. It's hardly comfortable, but he doesn't feel it much. "I wanted to make dinner as an apology. I didn't mean to be short with you." He mutters, staring at Oikawa who is already moving around the kitchen quickly and much more efficiently than he had. He turns on the stove and heats up the pan for vegetables.

Iwaizumi glances at his finger neatly wrapped in the paper, blood only just peaking out. Oikawa is right, it's definitely going to get in the way.

_Great._

He finally gives in and leans his head on the kitchen table hiding his eyes from light to stave off the migraine he’s sure is coming.

Oikawa watches him, concerned, wondering what could possibly be bothering him so much. He ducks out of the kitchen quickly and comes back with a band aid.

"Here," he says, gently taking Iwaizumi's hand and wrapping the band aid around the cut. It doesn’t look that bad anymore.

Iwaizumi looks up at Oikawa, squinting at the kitchen lights assaulting his senses. His boyfriend’s hands are gentle on his, he can feel the setter callouses the other has. They feel so familiar, and Iwaizumi almost gives into the notion of wanting to kiss them. “Thanks,” he says quietly, but Oikawa only waves him off.

"Do you have any anatomy homework or anything? You’re welcome to practice on me if you like?" Oikawa makes an attempt at humor, wondering if it’s just going annoy Iwaizumi.

But it doesn’t.

The mention of anatomy practice brings the first real smile from Iwaizumi in a while. Last time they had tried that he ended up with a giggling Oikawa in his arms (he was far too ticklish) and the obvious end result of them making out instead of actually studying.

"No homework, but I could always use more practice." He says with a more relaxed tone than before.

"Just say the word, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says, noting the happy expression he manages to get out of his boyfriend. He swells with pride. Iwaizumi has been getting harder and harder to pull out of his dark places, so when Oikawa is successful, he can't help but feel accomplished.

"Maybe once I'm done actually studying?" Iwaizumi suggests biting back another smile. He leans his head back on the table, the light still feeling too sharp.

"Are you getting a migraine, Iwa-chan? You've got that look on your face..." Oikawa watches his boyfriend struggle to keep his eyes open against the light.

"I think so..." He admits as he rubs the left side of his head where the pain is now radiating.

"On a scale of one to absolutely essential... how badly do you need to get the work done? And do you want a painkiller?" Oikawa asks. Between Iwaizumi's frequent headaches and Oikawa's volleyball injuries, they’re always well stocked when it comes to pain medication.

"I will probably lose my scholarship if my grades don't improve level of essential." Iwaizumi sighs as he finally admits it. Despite all his studying and effort he was scared that he just simply wasn't good enough for what he had chosen to study. "And yeah, a painkiller would be great."

"They can't be that bad, can they? You're so smart, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says, pulling a bottle of prescription painkillers down from the cupboard. Iwaizumi looks like he needs the extra kick. He hands it to him with a glass of water, then turns back to the stove where he’s thrown the onions and garlic that Iwaizumi managed to chop into a pan with oil.

"I don’t know why you think I’m so smart." It comes out more harshly than he intended, and Oikawa winces slightly at the sound.

"Damn it. Sorry, Oikawa. I feel like I'm snapping at you way too much today." Iwaizumi downs the pill and leans back in the chair, feeling utterly useless.

“Don’t worry about it. Is there anything I can do to help?” Oikawa replies. He isn’t sure why he’s feeling so sensitive right now. This is just all around a bad combinations of moods, and despite their best attempts at remedying it, the air is somewhat tense.

"It's ok you don't have to do anything. Just... give me some time to work this out." Iwaizumi gathers his strength, gets up and wraps his arms around Oikawa's waist from behind. He presses his face into Oikawa's back. It's so strong, even though he knows how fragile the other can be.

"Of course, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says turning down the temperature on the stove and rotating his body so he's facing Iwaizumi. He puts his arms around his shoulders and pulls him close. He can feel the tension in Iwaizumi's body just touching him through his shirt. "Just don't shut me out, please? When you don't tell me what's going on, I immediately think I did something wrong... I'm sorry, it's just how I am."

"It's not you. It's never you. You're perfect.” Iwaizumi replies sincerely, he almost never says it out loud, choosing to hide his affection in insults and banter, but this moment feels like it needs something more. He reaches for Oikawa's face, cupping his cheeks with both hands, noting the dark circles and how strained the other looks.

"Iwa-chan come on, as much as I always brag about being perfect, we both know it's not true," Oikawa says, letting the other look him straight in the eyes. He feels vulnerable, like Iwaizumi can see straight into his soul when he looks at him like that, but it's ok. It's part of what makes them so close.

"I would love it if you could finally see yourself as you are, but since it's unlikely, I’ll just have to keep reminding you." Iwaizumi kisses the corner of Oikawa's lips. Since they are pressed so closely together he doesn't miss the way Oikawa shifts his weight away from his right leg.

It’s all too familiar.

"I didn't even ask… How was practice today?" Iwaizumi brushes his fingertips over Oikawa's cheek and fixes a few strands of hair. He loves seeing the other in glasses and comfortable clothing, he looks so good, and less like the public persona he always puts on when they’re with other people.

Oikawa feels his face fall. “It was really rough. We lost the other night, so the coach had us hitting hundreds of serves and then we did a whole bunch of diving receives and running. I'm beat.”

What he means is, his knee is beat.

"We'll ice your knee after dinner." Iwaizumi says immediately in his usual no-nonsense tone; not even his migraine can stop him from caring for Oikawa's well being. He just wishes he were better at expressing that.

Oikawa sighs inwardly, knowing he shouldn't have said anything. The last thing Iwaizumi needs to be worrying about is his knee. All he can do now is nod in compliance. He's been playing doctor to Oikawa ever since he started his athletic therapy program, helping him with exercises and wrapping and taping techniques. It's nice, but Oikawa but can't help feel like he's burdening his boyfriend who clearly has so much else to worry about.

He decides its time for a change of subject. "How was your day? Aside from the headache?"

"Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it… class was a disaster. The professor called on me and I had no clue what he was even talking about." Iwaizumi turns towards the kitchen table where all his diagrams are stacked now. "Hence why I need to revise more. I think he has picked me as the target student this semester." Iwaizumi sulks, he prefers when the professors don't notice him that much. "Is something burning?" He sniffs the air and looks at the stove where Oikawa was cooking dinner.

"Shit!" Oikawa yells jumping on the spot and pulling the frying pan off the stove, accidently knocking it against the pot of boiling water next to it. He instinctively grabs the pot before it can fall to the ground, splashing boiling water all over the back of his right hand and wrist. "FUCK!" He cries out. Iwaizumi jumps into action, grabbing the pot by its cool handle before it can spill further and turning both elements off.

"Oh my god! Are you ok?" Iwaizumi immediately tugs Oikawa's burned hand to him to examine it, his heart beating fast and hard in his chest. "Let's get this under cold water." He says pulling him away from the stove, trying to keep calm.

Oikawa's face is scrunched up in pain as Iwaizumi drags him to the sink.

_Fuck why do burns hurt so badly?!_

He bites his tongue to keep from crying, but tears prick the back of his eyes. Why now? He was just starting to get somewhere with Iwaizumi, their conversation flowing much smoother than before. He doesn’t have time for this.

Iwaizumi looks at the burn, examining the redness. To him, any injury on Oikawa looks at least twice as bad, so he withholds his comments. He gently pushes Oikawa to put the hand under the stream of cold water. "Does it feel any better?" He frowns seeing the tears in Oikawa's eyes and his heart is in pieces immediately. He hates seeing his boyfriend cry.

Oikawa sniffles. “Not really,” he says, looking at his hand and frowning further.

Just looking at it makes his stomach churn. The skin is red, but not blackened or bleeding. Iwaizumi puts pressure in one spot on the back of his hand and the skin turns white. Oikawa squirms, but Iwaizumi holds his arm, waiting until the skin returns to red. He turns the water from cold to lukewarm. Oikawa flips his hand over to reveal another red spot, albeit smaller, on his lower palm. Fresh tears fall down his face.

"I'm sorry, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi repeats the process, checking how the burn is responding. "It seems like it's not that bad. And why are you apologizing? That was an accident." Iwaizumi says in his usual gruff voice resisting the urge to pull Oikawa in a tight hug. He knows they need to get the burn cooled down before anything else.

“Keep that under the water. I’m getting you painkillers, then I’ll finish cooking,” Iwaizumi decides.

"Ok," Oikawa has no choice but to agree, even though it’s already killing him on the inside. He hates being useless.

While trying not to focus on the burning feeling, he hears Iwaizumi muttering to himself about bandages as he sorts through the different bottles they have in their medicine cabinet. Talking to himself is a habit that only appears when Iwaizumi is visibly stressed, and it makes Oikawa worry further. He feels another wave of tears threaten as Iwaizumi walks away to get more stuff from the bathroom.

He feels so stupid, letting something that dumb happen. Not only did he hurt himself, he fucked up dinner and now Iwaizumi has to clean up his mess and take time out of his important study schedule to cook and look after him. He wants to apologize again, but Iwaizumi didn't accept the last one. He bites his tongue and wills himself to stop crying as the mess of thoughts rushes through his head.

Iwaizumi finds the painkillers he’s looking for. They are going through them a bit faster than he's really comfortable with but then, it's not like they can help it. He returns back to Oikawa and stops when he sees his hunched form by the sink. He sighs and gives into the temptation to hug the other. He clearly needs it.

"It's ok,” he says softly. “I can practically feel all you're thinking, you know? And it's fine. I promise." They stay like that for a while, Oikawa's hand still under the flowing water. Iwaizumi takes the time to soothe his boyfriend, light touches to the sides of his face and hair. He knows what calms Oikawa the best.

Oikawa relaxes a bit with the tenderness of Iwaizumi's touch. He reads him so well. His sobbing slows and he pushes his glasses up onto his head to wipe his eyes with his good arm.

"Let's go sit," Iwaizumi says, pulling a bowl out from the cupboard and filling it with water. Oikawa follows him away from the sink.

"You don't need to look after me, Iwa-chan. I know you're busy..." he trails off.

"Yeah, I know, but I want to. I think there's a reason you call me mom all the time." Iwaizumi cracks a joke despite the tension in the air. "Just keep your hand cool and I'll take care of the rest."

Iwaizumi then puts the offending pot back to boil and discards the burnt food from the pan. In no time at all he has pasta boiling and some vegetables sizzling to replace the lost ones.

He hands Oikawa the painkillers and an ice pack. "Here, you should ice your knee. Pasta will be ready soon.”

Iwaizumi leans heavily against the counter now that the adrenaline has worn off and he has run out of things to do for the moment. The migraine in the background is reminding him of its presence, and he can only take a couple glances at his study materials before he deems it useless. Concentrating tonight will be impossible.

"Thanks, Iwa-chan. I'll only say it one more time," he says, swallowing the pills. "I'm sorry for distracting you from studying. If there's any way I can make it up to you, please tell me,” he says, setting the ice pack on his knee, which he's propped up a chair. He can hardly even feel it, and he desperately wants to put the ice on his hand. Fuck it hurts so badly.

_You deserve it_ , says a quiet yet malicious voice in the back of Oikawa’s head. It catches him off guard, but he frowns at the thought. Maybe he does deserve it?

"You can make it up to me by taking better care of yourself." Iwaizumi walks over and leans down kissing the other carefully. He gives him plenty of time to back away, but Oikawa accepts the kiss as usual.

Oikawa forces a half smile, and Iwaizumi turns back to the stove and finally serves up some pasta topped with a light vegetable sauce. "Looks like I'll have to feed you too." Iwaizumi grins for moment. "Weren't you always begging me to do that?" He wants to distract Oikawa from the pain he's sure to still be in, but he's not certain that he's succeeding.

Oikawa feels a grin work its way across his face. He wipes at his eyes and his nose one more time then pulls his glasses back down. "Really? You'd do that? You don't just want to watch me fail to feed myself with my left hand? That seems like the kind of thing you'd be into..." His tone is playful and teasing, and it makes him feel a bit better. "This smells really good," he says, holding his face over the steaming bowl, his glasses immediately fogging up again.

"Yeah, don't give me too many ideas." Iwaizumi laughs feeling a sense of normalcy returning for the moment. He picks up a fork and gathers the pasta on it, blowing on it carefully before looking up at his now grinning boyfriend.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Iwaizumi mutters mostly to himself, but the returning spark in Oikawa's eyes is all the motivation he needs. He carefully feeds the other the first bite. "How is it?" The sudden anxiety that wells up seems a bit ridiculous, but Iwaizumi is tired and his mind no longer makes sense.

"You made it, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says through a mouth full of food. "Of course it's delicious!" He swallows, opening his mouth in request for more. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes but gives him another bite. "What about you? We can share this, you know? I don't have cooties."

"I kissed you only a few minutes ago, moron. Of course I know you don't have cooties." Iwaizumi teases back and then gives in to take a bite himself. Sometimes he can't believe that Oikawa let him in all those years ago and now they get to share so many moments like these. Sometimes it still feels like a dream. "Is your hand doing better?" He asks as he keeps alternating between eating himself and feeding Oikawa.

"It still burns, but I kind of forgot about it," he smiles. "Iwa-chan being so nice to me is distracting." If he knew this was all it would take to get Iwaizumi's attention like this, he'd gladly stick his hand in boiling water again and again. But he mentally kicks himself for the thought. Iwaizumi is busy with school, and while he’d never hold it against him, he’s still enjoying this moment. He knows how needy he is.

"Yeah, that's good, but don't get too used to it." Iwaizumi feels his cheeks color lightly, while he loves showering Oikawa with affection when the time is right, it still isn't easy.

For a long time he had shut off his feelings for the other and acted like they didn’t affect him, when in fact it was the opposite. Old habits are hard to break. He watches the changes in Oikawa's expression. He's glad that he's become somewhat better at reading them. "Something else you're worried about?"

"It's just... how long do you think this is going to take to heal? If it hurts this bad or if it blisters, I don't know if I'm going to be able to play. We've got a game on Friday and the team will never forgive me if I can't go." He pulls his hand out of the soothing water only for it to start burning like crazy. He winces and tucks it back into the bowl.

Iwaizumi stares at the wound for a few seconds his eyebrows tucked together in a worried frown. "I don't think you'll be able to practice, not to mention play in a game for a while." He comments already preparing for Oikawa to protest.

Oikawa feels like Iwaizumi just punched him in the chest, and he becomes short of breath. "A while?" He asks, stunned. "I can't... I don't have that kind of time. If I get benched I could lose my spot as a starter, and our team can't start losing right now! Oh god what am I going to do?!" He wails pulling his hand out of the water to claw at his hair with both hands.

"No, be careful!" Iwaizumi panics when he sees Oikawa's wounds out of the water.

He gently extracts Oikawa's injured hand out of his hair. It doesn't seem aggravated, but he can’t be sure.

"I'm sure the coach won't remove you from starting position just because of that. You'll be back to playing in 2-3 weeks." Iwaizumi explains patiently, guiding his hand back to the water. He knows how much this means to Oikawa. It's one of his weak points, has been since middle school.

"Gah, but there's this young setter... he's a first year and he's so talented and FUCK!" Oikawa swears loudly in frustration.

His hand is burning again, but instead of cursing it, he lets himself feel it. This is something he's gotten good at over the years, channeling his physical pain in a way that overrides the emotional hurt. It's twisted, he knows, but it works.

“Come here,” Iwaizumi says, taking Oikawa’s hand and examining. "I'll wrap it up for you now. You want it to heal fast, right? So don't do anything reckless." He finds the bandages they have in their cupboard and makes a mental note to restock. He then moves back to Oikawa's side and begins carefully wrapping the wound.

Oikawa winces as the bandages touch his damaged skin, but he attempts to take it in stride. He knows he has tears in his eyes, but it's not because of the pain anymore.

_This freaking sucks. How could I have let this happen?_

Oikawa can feel Iwaizumi’s eyes on him as he carefully winds the bandage from his knuckles down his wrist, and he knows the other is reading his thoughts. His boyfriend doesn’t know the extent of his destructive behavior, and he’d like to keep it that way. He almost physically shakes his head, attempting to shift his thought process.

_Come on, think of something else…_

"Do I at least get to be fed until it gets better?"

"Yes, I will feed you until you can do it yourself." Iwaizumi tries to appease the other. He fastens the bandage and kisses Oikawa's hand lingering there for a moment. Oikawa's hands are precious, and he feels sort of responsible for everything that happened tonight.

He looks up and frowns. "Oikawa, you have nothing to worry about. I know you will, but I still hope in vain you will accept that nothing can replace you."

Oikawa stares teary-eyed back at Iwaizumi. It had taken a long time for him to accept and believe those words. He wants to believe that no one could replace him as far as Iwaizumi is concerned, but there's no way he couldn't be replaced on his team. That first year setter is a genius, and the only thing Oikawa has over him is experience.

"Do you think you could come watch the next game with me if I can't play? I know you're busy, so it's ok if you can't."

"Yeah, just tell me when. I can probably ditch one or two classes." Iwaizumi smiles softly.

Oikawa grins at Iwaizumi, feeling endlessly grateful. Watching their games is going to make him ridiculously anxious, but having Iwaizumi there should make it bearable.

"I’ll clean up and then we can relax in the living room. Do you have anything to study?" Oikawa's major is less demanding but it still takes work, especially with exams approaching.

"I can always study. I know you need to get stuff done though, so maybe we can just cuddle on the couch and both study? Or would you rather I help you? I kind of owe you after all this. And I can help you clean up."

"Yeah studying together sounds good. I don't think we've managed to do that in a while, have we?" Iwaizumi says in a guilty tone. "You can help me if you're careful with your injuries. Both of them." He gets up gathering the dishes and moving them to the sink.

Oikawa frowns. It's true, they haven't been able to actually study together for a while as they're both so easily distracted. They have a very physical relationship, after all. But he supposes that in his current state, he can't exactly get too carried away anyway. Maybe it’s for the best, he thinks sadly. Iwaizumi has so much work to get done. And perhaps right now he should just enjoy the cuddling. It's not like he doesn't love simply being close to his boyfriend. "Yeah, ok. Just tell me what you need." He tries to keep any hint of suggestiveness out of his words, but knows he’s probably failed.

Iwaizumi spares a glance back towards Oikawa. He knows that look on his face and his tone sounds entirely too innocent to be real. He shakes his head amused and starts washing the dishes. "Can you dry this and put it away, please." He decides to use Oikawa's offer the way it sounded instead of how he almost wanted to interpret it.

"Sure," Oikawa says. It's not like he can say no. Iwaizumi just made him dinner and took care of his stupid injury. It was literally what he meant when he offered to help, but somehow he was hoping for something else. Nevertheless, he takes the first dripping plate from Iwaizumi, careful to keep his bandage dry. His hand still stings like crazy, and each bit of movement feels like the bandages are chafing the tender skin. He tries to keep the pained expression off his face, but turns away when he feels like he’s failing.

"So what are we studying?" He asks, willing his words not to sound strained.

Iwaizumi is too distracted by the dirty dishes to notice at first, but then he sees the new strain on Oikawa's face. "Maybe you shouldn't move your hand so much right now after all?" He asks, worried. Oikawa seems to be determined to make it up to him or some other ridiculous notion that’s stuck in his head.

Oikawa ignores him and continues to dry the plate.

"Well if I finish my written assignments now, we can work on that anatomy practice." He raises his eyebrows in such an unsubtle way it almost hurts, but he bears it, if only to distract Oikawa from his own pain.

Oikawa's jaw nearly drops to the floor along with the plate in his hand. Luckily his lightning fast reflexes kick in and he manages to catch the plate between the cupboard and his left knee. He recovers and pulls the plate back to the counter.

"You did NOT just wiggle your eyebrows suggestively at me... who are you?" He demands, bursting out into laughter. Iwaizumi blushes and grabs the plate from him.

“Go sit down,” he glares.

"Ok, ok, I'm going," Oikawa says, heading toward the couch in their conjoining living room.

"Remind me to never do that again," Iwaizumi says mortified with himself, he clears his throat, the flush on his face refusing to disappear. He continues to wash the dishes, now refusing to look in Oikawa's direction, the other still giggling audibly.

Oikawa attempts to keep his laughter quiet. He knows that Iwaizumi only did it to make him feel better and he loves him for it. It also worked; he can feel himself smiling. He clears off the couch and pulls the coffee table closer, a difficult task with one hand. He grabs his own laptop and plugs both his and Iwaizumi's in, setting up a bit of a study area for them. He stares at the candle on the shelf, toying with the idea of lighting it, his hand aching at the thought. He glares at it and decides against it. He shivers, deciding to put on one of Iwaizumi’s hoodies that are all over their flat and then sits down.

Iwaizumi cleans up as fast as he can, feeling the weariness that has settled in his body after a long day. He sighs in relief, seeing Oikawa on the couch looking perfect for cuddling. "You stole my hoody again?" Iwaizumi asks as he settles on the couch ignoring his laptop for the moment.

"I'm injured Iwa-chan, can't you just let me have it?" He teases. His hand still hurts... a lot... and he just wants to feel happy. Teasing is the only way he knows how to drag himself back to his normal persona, even if it's not completely genuine.

Iwaizumi sits down at the other end of the couch, and Oikawa reaches for him, left hand flexing like a baby waiting to be picked up by its mother. "Can we cuddle for a few minutes before we start studying?"

"Yes, we can, but you look way too good like this." Iwaizumi acts as if it’s offensive but reaches and pulls Oikawa in his arms. He needs to recharge anyway before he can try to concentrate again.

Iwaizumi pulls him close so that Oikawa is basically lying on top of him, and he begins pressing kisses into his hair and massaging his temples. If he could have any part of his body massaged, it would always be his scalp. It's so soothing and relaxing. But then he remembers his boyfriend's migraine. They'd been so focused on him he'd nearly forgotten. "Iwa-chan, how's your headache? I should be the one giving you the massage," he insists.

"Oh, I don't feel it much. I think the pain killers helped," Iwaizumi replies, his voice more relaxed and lower than usual. He feels like he could fall asleep but he knows he can't, so he keeps the impromptu massage going. His hands ghost lightly over Oikawa's neck and he grins when the other starts squirming. "I barely even touched you."

"That's the problemmmm," Oikawa whines, pulling off his glasses and placing them out of harm’s way. "I'm so ticklish, you have to press harder!" He squirms more, nearly diving off the couch as Iwaizumi continues to tickle him.

"IWA-CHAN!" He wails. "I'm glad you feel better but can you please NOT tickle me intentionally? Do you want me to injure myself further?"

"Mm, no, that is the opposite of what I want." Iwaizumi gives up on his quest to make Oikawa squirm and simply lays down on the couch. He stops moving, settling down and feeling like he's going to fall asleep. Closing eyes is tempting, but he resists; instead he stares at Oikawa through half lidded eyes. He is entirely too good-looking. Iwaizumi has known that since middle school, of course, but it still hits him at the most unlikely moments.

"Sorry, I know. And sorry for whining."

Oikawa climbs on top of him, attempting to wiggle his way between Iwaizumi's body and the back of the couch. He loves that little crack between the cushions, and when Iwaizumi spoons him from that direction it makes him feel so small and protected.

"Stop saying sorry,” Iwaizumi grumbles, but immediately wraps his arms around Oikawa as soon as the other slips in next to him.

"Sorry," Oikawa replies automatically, but then slaps his hand over his mouth. "Shit," he mumbles, burying his face in Iwaizumi's shoulder.

Iwaizumi laughs at that and pulls him closer.

Oikawa snuggles in deeper, feeling Iwaizumi’s powerful arms around him. It's like nothing in the world can touch him. Not his volleyball fears, not his injuries, none of his insecurities are present here. Iwaizumi is like a wall blocking out everything that scares him. He can't imagine what life would be like had they not come to that strange realization one night in the bathtub, when Oikawa taken a few too many painkillers after injuring his knee.

"What are you thinking about?" Iwaizumi asks his voice a bit muffled.

Oikawa automatically goes on the defensive, coming back with "nothing." But then he thinks about it. He hides way too much from his boyfriend, despite regularly agreeing to try to harder to share. It's just so hard sometimes. Half the time it would only worry Iwaizumi. But this, this he thinks he could share.

"I was just thinking about how safe I feel... with you, like this. It's like nothing bad can touch me. It's nice. Then I was thinking about the first night we kissed." He feels a smile force it's way onto his face, and he turns up to look into Iwaizumi's eyes. Everything is blurry in the absence of his glasses, but it doesn’t matter. He’s memorized every detail of his boyfriend’s face.

Iwaizumi is a bit surprised when Oikawa actually decides to share it with him. He feels his chest warm with affection; if there's anything he wants in the world it's for Oikawa to feel safe and happy. And to think that he can actually provide that? The thought feels wild, but Iwaizumi knows that Oikawa is being truthful right now.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorite memories, despite the circumstances." He admits thinking back to it as well.

"Is it a bad thing that one of us always seems to be taking care of the other?" In a way, what feels better than anything right now is just sharing his thoughts with Iwaizumi. He never does it, and sometimes he forgets how clean it makes him feel.

"I think that's how we’ve always been.”

"I guess you're right. Didn't I scrape my knee the day we met as kids?" Oikawa laughs, nestling his head comfortably against Iwaizumi's strong chest. The other seems to have gotten even more muscular despite the fact that he doesn't play volleyball anymore.

"I'm pretty sure you did. I just remember you crying a lot." Iwaizumi ruffles Oikawa's hair enjoying the smooth texture and being careful not to tug on any tangles. Not that there are many of them. “Even then you were an ugly crier,” he teases.

“Mean! Iwa-chan.”

“I’m kiddingggg,” Iwaizumi hums. “You’re beautiful no matter what you’re doing.”

That makes Oikawa smile.

"Mmm, Iwa-chan, I love it when you play with my hair," he whines. "But I'm distracting you, you need to study." He insists, though he doesn't get off of him yet. He's half hoping that Iwaizumi will agree to leave it alone for tonight, but he knows how important this is, and if he was a decent boyfriend, he'd get off of him right now and let him study.

He tells himself he will regardless, but he still wants to see Iwaizumi's reaction.

Iwaizumi only gives a halfhearted glance at his study materials. "I'll spend some extra time in the library tomorrow I guess." He finally says and kisses Oikawa who suddenly looks way too happy.

Five more minutes, Oikawa tells himself. He will let himself enjoy this for five more minutes, then he'll stop himself and let Iwaizumi study. "Let's just relax for a few more minutes and see how you feel, ok? I know I'm distracting, but I can always put my nerd glasses and baggy pants back on and be less so," he giggles.

"You know that won't change much in my eyes." Iwaizumi smirks as he lets his hands wander lower to Oikawa's waist, playing with the edge of his hoody and tank top. "I've said it before but I think it bears repeating that you will always be able to distract me."

As much as Oikawa loves where this is going, he really feels like he should stop him and make him study.

He sits up, clicks his tongue and snaps his fingers. "I've got it! How about a poncho!" He laughs.

Iwaizumi actually considers it for a moment. "Yeah, probably even a poncho." He laughs too, wondering how they even got to this point.

"But seriously, Iwa-chan, I think you should study. What do you think?"

"I know, I know." Iwaizumi drags himself up with the last of his strength. He stares at the work pile for a moment before pulling it towards him. The lingering anxiety of losing his scholarship is there; it never really left, it was just muted while he was focusing on his boyfriend.

Oikawa watches Iwaizumi's expression turn sour. It makes him feel so conflicted. He knows he can help make Iwaizumi feel ok, better than ok for that matter, but then in the long run, he should really let him study.

"Get some work done? Go for as long as you can and then we can continue where we left off," Oikawa offers. He picks up his glasses and slides them up his nose. "In the mean time, I'll go get my poncho and we'll put that theory to the test."

"Wait are you serious?" Iwaizumi looks at where Oikawa disappeared into their bedroom. His boyfriend can be more than a bit ridiculous. He shakes his head fondly and pulls the up the first report he has to do on his laptop.

_Focus. You can do this._

Oikawa darts out of the room. At this point he really just wants to make his boyfriend smile. He can swear he had one - yes! It's actually an emergency blanket from a high school camping trip that managed to remain buried in his things. He rips the package open and pulls the foil hooded blanket over his head and returns to the living room attempting to keep his laughter at bay.

Iwaizumi is concentrating as hard as he can even though he can hear Oikawa trying to contain his amusement. And he thinks he's being sneaky... He continues looking through the necessary texts when Oikawa appears right in front of him in what looks like a foil emergency blanket.

Iwaizumi almost chokes on his laughter. "Oh my god, you're ridiculous."

The more Oikawa poses, acting like a model on a runway, the more Iwaizumi laughs.

"Please no more. Don't you think you've proven the point?" He gasps while wiping away a few tears that escape.

Oikawa can hardly contain his own laughter as he watches tears leak out of Iwaizumi's eyes. He definitely accomplished his purpose.

"Well clearly the emergency blanket didn’t work, maybe next time I'll get my hands on an actual poncho. Yellow does nothing for my skin, there will be nothing distracting about me. But seriously now I'm actually distracting you. Perhaps I should go outside. At least I'd be warm." He feels a bit crazy at the moment. It has been one of those days...

"Sit down. You can even keep that ridiculous thing on." Iwaizumi wipes away the last few stray tears and pats the seat next to him. "Now I feel like I need to prove that I can study even though you're looking like this. That's why I love you though." They both freeze at the same time. He knows he doesn't just say things like that, but it kind of slipped out, so he lets it be.

"Iwa-chan!!!" Oikawa wails, diving at his boyfriend and fully knocking him over on the couch, his papers flying everywhere. "Iwa-chan I love you too! And I love it when you say I love you!" His hand slams against the couch and it stings, but he wrenches it away and ignores it. He's not ruining this moment.

Iwaizumi catches Oikawa falling back on the couch; his breath is literally knocked out of him. He struggles for a few moments to regain it before flicking Oikawa's forehead. "Be careful, idiot.”

"Ouch Iwa-chan! You're going to leave marks on my skin! Do you know how hard I work to keep that forehead flawless," he says, rubbing the spot on his head that Iwaizumi barely touched. He's just making a fuss because he loves the attention.

It works, and Iwaizumi kisses his forehead.

Oikawa nuzzles closer, snuggling up as though he's trying to get inside his boyfriend's skin. "Study, Iwa-chan," he says, taking off his glasses again and setting them on the table.

"Yeah, ok, I will." Iwaizumi says with a smile, he watches as Oikawa settles next to him. "You gonna sleep?" He asks petting Oikawa like one would a cat. He does remind him of a cat sometimes. He wonders if Oikawa would care for that comparison.

"Mm, maybe if you keep petting me like that," he says. "It's nice." He's tired, but he doesn't really want to sleep. He loves the position he's in right now, and he just wants to enjoy his boyfriend's company more than anything. After the day he's had, he needs it.

His hand is still burning, but he opens his eyes and stares at the blurry mass above him. Iwaizumi’s form makes him forget the pain almost immediately.

Iwaizumi works quietly for a while, his free hand subconsciously still petting Oikawa's head. The warmth of his boyfriend soaking into him calms his anxious thoughts. It feels so good to be close like this.

Oikawa lies there, loving their proximity. Why don't they do this more often? He thinks back to the events of the evening, remembering what Iwaizumi had said about his instructor picking on him in class. He wanted to comment, but then he dumped the pot of water on himself. He wonders if he should bring it up again, or if Iwaizumi has already moved on. He can't tell if the other is still feeling bothered. He supposes he'll just be quiet and let him study until he gives him a reason to talk again.

Iwaizumi sits there, time ticking by slowly until it reaches midnight. He can feel his eyes trying to close with every other blink. Oikawa must be dozing already, he thinks as he turns another page in his notes. He almost wants to go to bed, but that would mean disturbing Oikawa and halting studying, both of which don't sound ideal.

Oikawa twitches in his sleep, waking himself up. He was having the most pleasant dream where Iwaizumi was feeding him milk bread for reasons that had nothing to do with injuries. He opens his eyes, blinking quickly, attempting to clear the fog as he always does before subconsciously flailing his arms in search of his glasses. Only then does he realize that he's still on the couch, curled up in Iwaizumi's lap.

Iwaizumi startles when Oikawa begins flailing his arms, narrowly avoiding getting hit in the face. "You should go sleep in the bed," he whispers watching as his boyfriend blinks sleepily up at him. He's even cuter than usual like this. Fuck. Iwaizumi reaches down and caresses Oikawa's cheek lightly. He ponders how he got so lucky.

Oikawa's mind quickly processes the situation, and he remembers why he's here. "Are you almost done studying? Aren't you tired?" He asks. The idea of bed sounds nice, but if Iwaizumi is staying up, he'd rather keep snoozing here.

The next words out of his mouth are automatic. "Am I bothering you?"

Iwaizumi bites back a sigh. "Of course not. I'm just worried that you're not comfortable." He pokes Oikawa's cheek lightly. "I'll be done in a minute, I hope. Though I don't think I can manage to study anymore, my brain is fried."

He sighs and decides to give up right there and then. He closes the laptop more forcefully than he meant to.

Oikawa jumps as he slams the laptop, worrying that he's not as ok as he's insisted. "You can only do so much, Iwa-chan," he says softly, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. He's more careful this time to avoid his boyfriend's face. "Are you ok?" He finally asks.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Iwaizumi waves him off and rubs his eyes. They sting from long hours of studying, he's lucky he still has good eyesight unlike Oikawa. "Let's get to bed," he says even though he makes no move to go, letting Oikawa stretch first and admiring him all throughout the process.

"Are you sure?" Oikawa asks.

Iwaizumi just nods.

It appears that if anything _is_ bothering him, he's not getting answers tonight. Oikawa glances at the floor, then the hallway.

"Iwa-chan, will you carry me to bed?" Complete self-indulgence, but he doesn't care. Iwaizumi is strong and it shouldn't be that taxing.

Iwaizumi laughs. Oikawa is always like this, even when he's not sleepy. He ignores his exhaustion and easily picks up the other as he would normally. They manage to get to bed before he drops Oikawa and collapses half on top of him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> We have a pretty good amount of these stock piled now, they just need to be edited - which is SO much work. Show us some love and inspire us to edit! 
> 
> SE: Man what is this crap?  
> Jya: Iuno, angst fest?  
> SE: Right – that.  
> Jya: Who wrote that bullshit line?  
> SE: I have no idea, I can’t tell whose is whose anymore.  
> Jya: Why are we like this?  
> SE: Shut up and get back to work.  
> Jya: ><  
> SE: Don’t you glare at me.  
> Jya:/throws glasses case at SE's head
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING <3


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